Cries of Havoc Episode I: From the Shadows
by RBL-M1A2Tanker
Summary: Jedi Master Tank has moved to a new home, on a quaint world named Earth. However, dark forces from his own past and that of the galaxy's past threaten to strike from the shadows to conquer all. Can Earth, Tank and his friends withstand this threat?
1. Prelude and Details

_**I live! Yes ladies and gents, I am still writing and working away! Though it's been more in an RP fashion of late, I still have something for everyone just to show that I live. A completed story! gaspAnd not just that…but it'll be a three part series. **_

_**First, must give credit where it is due, and get the disclaimers out of the way. As I have lots of characters involved, I'll introduce you to them bit by bit as each chapter progresses, with credits for the character or idea as necessary.**_

_**Character List and Credits:**_

_**Karen Sotherland is an original character © Terra Drake.**_

_**Jimi the kitsune is © jimi (as he calls himself). **_

_**Ryvaken Talderen, and Ryzahn are © Ryvaken. **_

_**Jedith Errant, Etin, Viper, and Rea Vipe, is © Jedith Errant**_

_**Derr and Nyn is © Derr**_

_**Unknown is ©…Unknown**_

_**Tank, Bolt, Darcy20, CT, Darth Char, are © My characters**_

_**Star Wars is copyright © 1977-2005 LucasFilm LTD. Star Trek is © Paramount Pictures All characters used with permission of the creators.**_

_**Now allow me to introduce the cast of the first chapter to you.**_

_Name: Ryvaken Tadrya  
**Appearance**: 6 inches tall, pointed ears, tan silk and brown leather clothes, six wings, etc etc etc  
**Weapons**: Fairly ordinary tiny longbow with an unordinary quiver containing four types of arrows and occasional specialties  
**Abilities**: Woe to anyone that tries to shoot him down, for they are wasting their time. Reflexes, while not fast enough to dodge bullets, are nonetheless fast enough to dodge arrows, swords, and, when combined with his small size, the aim of all but the best of fighters. Also, he exerts control over all forms of electricity to some extent.  
**Personality**: Hyper and playful. When threatened, he is cold and serious. These are good traits to have in a friend in battle._

_Name: Ryzahn  
**Appearance**: The hair of Einstein attached to a tall, unhealthily thin body, clothed in what was once a white lab coat. Ancient burn marks cover everything. Bulges suggest a pair of bandoliers under the coat; they contain explosives, adhesives, detonators, wire kits, bombs, grenades, and napalm canisters. His right sleeve is bulged with a compact flamethrower.  
**Weapons**: Um, read the above. He built all of it himself.  
**Personality**: Frankly he could care less if he's minion or mastermind. He likes to create explosives and truly loves using them. Appropriate adjectives are psychotic, insane, genius, creative, and cold._

_Name: Amy Nynstraam aka Nyn (he is a guy, his parents were not all there)  
**Appearance**: 6'3"; long black hair that goes to his shoulders; wears a black trench coat and black pants; deep and serious eyes, blue; a very serious take-no-bs aura  
**Weapons**: Has very strong powers over the mind, is telekinetic, psychic, pyrokinetic, and remote view; has two micro Uzis ; a wavy knife; a swan-off 12-guage shotgun  
**Personality**: Is a quote "tight ass", being very serious about things; gets straight to the point; at times will joke and fool around but it is rare; most free time is spent meditating; also is a hopeless romantic looking for a girl_

_Name: Derrith Nynstraam, aka Derr  
**Appearance**: Can usually be found sporting a agent style suit with a red tie; a pair of sunglasses; black hair that almost goes to the bottom of the neck; 6'2"  
**Weapons**: Two Berretta M9s; a pig sticker combat knife; Widow Maker (if you don't know what that is I SHUN you!) ; a Claymore (sword, not mine) ; Desert Eagle ; the battle van; a sawn-off 12 gauge shotgun; SPAS 12 pump action shotgun; M16 with grenade launcher; PSG1 Sniper Rifle; Drugnov sniper rifle.  
**Personality**: Sometimes psychotic, sometimes not. Derr is the kind of guy you want on your side when the heat turns up. Extremely loyal to his friends and family, and extremely vicious towards his enemies_

_Name: Karen Sotherland  
**Appearance**: Karen dresses in rags, and is recently homeless. She has long, blonde hair and blue eyes. She would look like a cheerleader if not for the constantly depressed expression she has on her face. As though she were dead inside. Also, if one looks her over, they will notice that her right hand is missing entirely.  
**Weapons**: The NightBlade, a weapon of pure evil, has found a home in Karen's left hand. It appears as a simple iron sword hilt with a circular hand guard, but there is so much more to it. The weapon channels the anger, the hatred, the pure, unadulterated rage of its wielder, into a blade of energy that is blacker than the darkest night, and colder than the mightiest blizzard. The weapon also seems to have a presence to it, as though it has a life of its own.  
**Powers**: Zilch. She's an ordinary human.  
**Personality**: Karen feels defeated, and comes off dead. There is no longer any life to her face, and she hasn't smiled in well over a year. She just wanders, and sometimes cries, although lately she has become depressed beyond crying._

_Name: Jedith Errant  
**Appearnace**: Errant of average height, around 5'8" (173cm), and of average build. All in all...very average, easy to underestimate if you don't take a good study of his demeanor and person. He usually wears blue trousers with a red stripe down the outside seam and black soft-soled boots. He wears a plain white shirt which he usually covers with a heavy leather bomber jacket. The jacket is covered in patches, the most noticeable: the new patch on his right shoulder of a greenish planet with a breaking chain over the planet and the other is the large patch on his back of crossed lightsabers with several types of starfighter ducking up and around the crossed sabers.  
_

_Overall he looks relatively youthful, around his late twenties, for his age, around his early forties. This is on account of him being a half-breed of a Human and a Zeltron. Errant's short brown hair is parted on left towards the right. His eyes are icy blue when at calm, but turn a reflective crimson when ready to take action. He has a slight pinkish twinge to his other wise light tan. His visible skin is scar-free except a web of criss-crossing scars on his right hand and forearm.  
**Weapons**: His main weapons are an orange-bladed lightsaber and an orange-bladed lightdirk. The lightsaber has meter long blade whilst the dirk is only about 0.5 meters long. Errant also carries a MerrSonn DeathHammer heavy blaster pistol; it has an optimal range of 30 meters and a maximum range of 120 meters and delivers a punch of a blaster rifle at the range. In his boot, he has hidden a small vibroblade. This is weapon of last resort, but he usually uses it as a tool more than a weapon.  
**Powers**: Errant is namely a Jedi Sentinel. He has abilities in the core powers of the Jedi but he is never all that powerful in them. His telekinesis is average, his healing is substandard. He can heal himself well and heal minor damage to others. Errant's powers lie mostly in affecting the mind (Persuasion, Mind Trick, Telepathy, Empathy), which stems from his mother, a Zeltron. They are already empathic, Zeltron Jedi are average in everything but mind powers.  
_

_Errant has mastered a few fringe powers that are quite unpracticed by most Jedi including the ability to separate his mind from his body and explore with his "spirit," but the downside is that his body wastes away quickly while his mind is absent. Another ecliptic power Errant is gifted with is his "damselsense." With his empathy and telepathy Errant is able to sense the distress and fear of females from a distance away. _

Errant has the biological power of pheromones because of his Zeltron heritage. His body generates and stores enough pheromones for him to release one good burst a day. These pheromones make the target puddy in the Zeltron's hand, and only a few species in all of the SW galaxy can even resist them. Errant doesn't use this trait nearly at all because of the sheer twisting of wills it produces.  
**Personality**: Errant naturally exudes a air of cheerful mischief. A grin or smile is almost always present on his face. And he goes to great lengths to make others around him happy. Though you have to be careful because if he has the opportunity and the thought cross his mind he's liable to play a trick or joke on anyone within reach.

Another side to Errant is a hidden one of loss and sorrow. Biologically and culturally Zeltrons mourn to the exclusion of everything else when they are hit with grief. Errant is no different and carries his locked away below the surface. Even though he's worked through them and moved on, the memories still carry enough power. And new raw events have a profound effect on him. Enough hurt can push him to angry outburts or can lock him up with grief.

_Name: Rea Vipe  
**Apperance**: Rea looks to be in her later twenties. She's about 5'4" and skinny but filled out in all the right places. Her short neck-length auburn hair gives her overall appearence of a firey young woman. Her emerald eyes used to complete this look, but her opaque black eyes give her a slightly unsettling appearance. _

Rea usually can be found wearing a green flightsuit which is covered in pockets but not really designed by an eunuch. If forced and prodded, Rea cleans up well and wears a simple blouse and skirt. She never, never wears anything backless or bear mid-drift because of a crosshatch of welts from her rear to the small of her back that she recieved from beatings as a kid.  
**Weapons**: Rea followed her brother in buying a Merr Sonn DeathHammer but wears hers in a thigh holster while his is in a shoulder holster. Other than that she has a boot vibroblade and nothing else.  
**Powers**: Rea is deceptive in her powers, the only thing that hints at them are her black eyes. She is a vampire, sired by her love. (excerpted from the vampire Queen, Terra) Vampiric regeneration. Enhanced strength. Moves silently. Dark vision. Spiritual vampire bite. Feeds off blood. Vulnerabilities to water, flame, and blood loss.  
**Personality**: Rea is a firecracker. She's friendly and giggly around friends and family, but if you set her off, she'll come down on you like a ton of bricks. She protects herself and loved ones with a furvor that is a little bit frightening. She's a bit of a wiseass, but not nearly as mischievious as her brother.

_Name: E-10 (Etin in dialogue)  
**Appearance**: There's nothing cuddly about E-10 at first glance. In fact everything about him says "hulking, intimidating death machine." E-10 is now inhabiting a YVH (Yuuzhan Vong Hunter) droid chassis. He is around six feet ten inches tall and weighs around 800 pounds. His form is entirely covered with a greay armor giving him the appearance of a very muscular knight. In between his shoulders is the designation "8M-6" E-10 has glowing red photoreceptors for eyes.  
**Weapons**: E-10 has a variable power repeating blaster in his right arm. He can vary it from stun blasts all the way up to levels needed to take down starfighters. He has a mount on his left arm that he leaves open and attaches a weapon as the situation dictates. He usually goes with a retractable vibrosword or a mini seeker missile launcher with fifty round capacity.  
_

_In addition to his mountable weapons, E-10 is incredibly strong and agile owing to his advanced servomotor and repulsorlifts. He can jump fairly high and hover for very short times with his repulsorlifts, but the repulsors also add to his dexterity and strength, giving him enough power to crush armored warriors with a bear hug.  
**Powers**: No mystical powers, E-10 is highly intelligent and is able to comprehend and operate advanced machinery and computers. He is able to link up and control the weaponry of the Cerulean Dream from short distances away via slave circuits.  
**Personality**: E-10 is very old droid and has ways to circumvent memory wipes. Without a memory wipe in more than sixty years he has developed his own personality. He's got kind a crotchety old man to him, which fits the droid fine for his age and relation to Errant. E-10 is undoubtedly Errant's closest friend and a lot of times in Errant's turbulent history he has been something of a father figure and mentor for the orphan. _

The little droid has become a straight-talker in years. He doesn't like dodgy language. He'll come right out and say something harsh or not. His years also don't allow him to put up with much. He'll match insult for insult, prank for prank, and damage for damage. He's not bound by any limitations Errant put on himself. He could easily seek vengeance or do a load of things Errant couldn't.

Mostly, E-10 is a quiet and loyal to Errant and his friends. Loyal enough to follow Errant to their doom. That loyalty come from his base programming, the loyalty Errant has shown him, the fact that Errant is one of the better masters in the galaxy, and the fact that Errant cared enough for him to manumit him (freed him as a droid.)

_Name: Unknown  
A**ge**: 16  
**Apperance: **Black T-shirt, brown khakis and boots, and a silver scarf  
**Weapon**: Amazingly enough, his scarf, which is partially sentient and has a symbiotic relationship with him.  
**Background**: Unknown has been wandering since before he can remember. He doesn't know why or how, or even if he had any family. One day when he was moving through a forest he found an ancient temple. While exploring the temple he found a silver scarf, and thinking it would be worth something to some one, he picked it up. Before he knew it, the thing had wrapped around his neck and mouth. Shortly after the temple then began to collapse and Unknown barely escaped.  
**Abilities**: He is able to stretch his scarf out up to sixty feet, make the edge of the scarf sharp, able to cut through almost anything (with exceptions), form a shield that stops pistol bullets, arrows, bolts, swords, and punches, allow him to breath underwater, protects him from most air-born poisons and can use the scarf to swing on braches or other jutting features. Strangely, the properties of the scarf keep Unknown's neck from snapping while using it in such a manner. Otherwise he is a normal young human being._

_Name: Jimi  
**Age**: Unknown, more than a hundred years, though he seems to be 15 though  
**Fur color**: A reddish brown with yellow tips on his tails.  
**Height**: Very short.  
**Weight**: Very low.  
**Bio/short history**: Not much is known about the kitsune known as Jimi. Some think that he just doesn't let on his past, but the truth is he knows nothing of it. He started his life out as a simple kitsune in a forest far from any known human civilization. Over the years his mischievous and curious nature lead him closer and closer towards human habitation. On one journey he finally entered a town and was amazed by all he saw, and decided to open up his own shop. A coffee shop no less._

_Due to his nature being mischievous though, and with his slight skill of magic, his coffee was known to transform the drinkers, yet it brought more customers as the transformations were never permanent and were always of a benign nature. _

_Yet, even as he made friends in this new world, he still had enemies from the past. During one serious fight he became crippled temporarily. An attempted spell backfired, and it gave him a sister from it. A long time later he fell into a magical pool by accident, and another kitsune from ages past that had died there merged with his form, gaining him several extra tails. He seeks answers as to why the previous kitsune had died in the spot where the pool had formed, but whether he will ever learn them remains to be seen._

_He has a cheery, 'nothing can depress me attitude;' though, it is more of a front to hide his ambitions and goals, as is typical of kitsunes in general. Or at least one that is made up of two kitsunes into one form now. He also has a bad habit of jumping down women's shirts at the drop of a hat, and has an insatiable craving for donuts at all times. He is brilliant, but eccentric.  
**Powers/abilities**: His magical powers where at one time without measure, but with the "birth" of his sister his ice and water spells left him, and at the "birth" of his brother his fire spells also left him. Not being good at much else he devoted his magic to lighting spells. He also has the strange ability to take on the forms of something non-living in order to escape danger if and whenever necessary. _

_**Name**: RBLM1A2Tanker  
**Nickname**: Tank or Tanker  
**Age**: 24  
**Hair color**: Red  
**Eyes**: Blue  
**Height**: 5 feet 6 inches  
**Race**: Human  
**Ship**: Woodland camo painted Xwing and TIE Defender, both named Azazel. Possibly looking into a larger ship for long hauls.  
**Occupation**: Starfighter pilot and commander. Jedi Master. Engineer.  
**Personality**: Easy going, jokester among friends. Quiet until his opinion is needed. Calm, and very observant. Has a take charge attitude when necessary.  
**Abilities/Powers list**: Due to his unique nature, as long as he doesn't let dark emotions or thoughts cloud his thinking to the point of absolute hate or rage or aggression, he's able to wield the powers of both the Light and the Dark side of the Force, to a degree anyways. _

The Force (obvious), ability to heal others and self to a degree (about 15-25, depending on injury), Force shove/pull, lightning, saber throw, leap (up to three stories), speed (doesn't last long, about 60 seconds), Grip (think Vader) Absorb, Protection (a protective Force shield that lasts for only a short time), and Force Destruction (a powerful ball of Force energy that can cause great damage to an area, a last resort ability).

Personal strength and stamina is greater than normal humans due to his training within a gravity chamber at 10x gravity for over three years (hence why he isn't a pancake or a total mess now...he worked up to that level over that course of time.)

All Jedi have one ability that pertains to just them, and Tank's is one that is explained in a short story sample below the Bio.  
He is greatly skilled with a lightsaber, although not to the level of Luke Skywalker. He makes up for this by improvising whenever necessary during combat. Is skilled with other weapons and especially with an Xwing or TIE Defender as well, but is willing to learn to improve and work with others.

Can work on mechanical machinery, but is more adept with computer equipment and repair, and is good at 'jury-rigging' a machine when needed.  
**Weapons**: a blue-bladed lightsaber is his standard weapon, but is flexible and can make use of whatever is available, if the saber is taken away.  
**Armor**: Not needed usually, but will use anything that's handy.  
**Clothing **: Loose, casual, functional in case of battle (think of a Mace Windu, or other Jedi in Star Wars Attack of the Clones), usually a tan or light brown gi and cloak, but isn't above wearing other clothing when necessary.

_**Name**:CloneTanker  
**Nickname**: CTank, or CT  
**Gender**: Male  
**Hair color**: Red  
**Eyes**: Blue  
**Height**: 5 feet 6 inches  
**Race**: Human  
**Occupation**: Pilot, Jedi Learned. Engineer. Part-owner and main operator of The ReBeL Shop.  
**Personality**: Easy going, jokester among friends. Quiet until his opinion is needed. Calm, and very observant. Has a take charge attitude when necessary.  
**Abilities/Powers list**: Due to a built in block CT cannot achieve the same level of Force ability as the original. He has access to all the neutral Force powers, but is unable to access the more advanced abilities, such as Heal, Destruction, Lighting, Drain, Absorb and Protection, or the natural ability Tank himself has with forming air blocks. _

He is a complete copy in every sense of the word except for the aforementioned powers. What's more is he is fully aware he is a clone, and accepts it without a problem. His life revolves around The ReBeL Shop, and he likes it that way.

_**Name**: Thunderbolt  
**Nickname**: Bolt  
**Age**: Unknown  
**Height**: Short  
**Race**: Astromech R2 Droid  
**Occupation**: Astromech for Jedi Master M1A2Tanker.  
**Personality**: Jokester. Intelligent. A droid racing addict.  
**Abilities/Powers list**: Mostly the standard compliment of tools and such within his bays. Does have a magnetic cable though for...anything really.  
**History**: Bolt has no recollection of the time before the mission where his previous pilot had been killed on Tank's homeworld and he jumped in. It is possible he had a memory wipe prior to the mission, although since then he hasn't had one. _

He's a manumitted droid, free to do as he wishes. He remains with the Jedi more out of loyalty and to learn more from the ever inquisitive former soldier. Hasn't found out much about Tank's past, but is hoping that someday he'll be able to find out all about it, and about the machinery he used to work on.

Tank wouldn't have survived as long as he has without Bolt. Tank wouldn't have survived at all from the attack on his homeworld if Bolt hadn't gotten tired of his messing around in the Xwing's cockpit and decided to head home, although Tank believes he kicked in the autopilot.

Bolt earned his name of Thunderbolt when, on a much later mission to a planet, he was blasted by a bolt of lightning. He has since been modified to not be affected by them, since it seems that his green-topped dome gets hit by them often. He's been called Bolt most of the rest of the time mainly because it's easier to say, although he suspects that it's the Jedi's way of teasing him by implying he's just a bucket of bolts sometimes. He doesn't mind though, and rather prefers it over the full name.

Has an insane urge to race other droids, most notably the famous ones. Has raced Artoo, but has not beaten him yet. He fully intends to beat the wily old droid.

_**Name**: Darcy 20  
**Age**: Undetermined  
**Height**: Several stories tall  
**Occupation**: Main computer for the RBL Store  
**Personality**: Still be developed. Highly inquisitive. Always seeking out new life and information.  
**Abilities/Powers list**: An incredibly advanced electronics system, far beyond anything on the planet by several centuries, as it was made to be a mainframe computer on a Federation Galaxy-class starship. Has access to all the formidable defenses and weapons systems built into the RBL Store, which are rather extensive. Possesses powerful sensors to keep track of all within the store, where all merchandise is until purchase, and to keep track of incoming and outgoing space traffic around the planet._

_**Name**: Darth Char (Originally known as T2)  
Title: Dark Lord of the Sith  
**Age**: 24  
**Hair color**: Red  
**Eyes**: Blue  
**Height**: 5 feet 6 inches  
**Race**: Human  
**Occupation**: Sith Lord  
**Abilities/Powers list**: His powers are to the Dark Side of the Force, with no deviation at all. He gave up all abilities to Light Side powers during his long journeys. _

The Force (obvious), Force shove/pull, lightning, saber throw, leap (up to three stories), speed (doesn't last long, about 60 seconds), Grip (think Vader) Force Drain (an ability that steals life and Force strength from a target) and Force Destruction (a powerful ball of Force energy that can cause great damage to an area), as well as a new devestating power, Force Inner Fire.

Originally his personal strength and stamina was equal to Tank's, due to being an exact duplicate of him. During his time of absence though, he continued to train, and may possibly be stronger. No reports on his abilities or strength have come forth since.

All Jedi have one ability that pertains to just them; however, due to the incident that created T2, and now his renouncement of the Light Side of the Force, he no longer has that ability...at least, not in that regard.

Can work on mechanical machinery, but is more adept with computer equipment and repair, and is good at 'jury-rigging' a machine when needed.  
**Weapons**: an red-bladed lightsaber is his standard weapon, but will make use of whatever is available, saber missing or not.  
**Armor**: A customized battle armor that encompasses his body from the neck down under his normal clothing that help him to blend in with normal crowds yet still maintain maximum protection.

_**Ok, I think I've drowned everyone in enough of the techical stuff. Time to move onto the story eh? **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**¤§¤**_

_**The Author**_


	2. Chapter 1: A Beginning of a saga

**_Cries of Havoc: From the Shadows_**

_**Chapter 1: A beginning of a saga.**_

Felicity. Main city of Neko Neko Island. Home of a vast array of beings...and growing larger. Jedi, Vampires, Slayers, Nekos, swordsmen, clones, anthros, kitsunes...all of them lived here, and watched over by the benevolant mayor, Jess. Policed by a Jedi Knight and a special police force, it was calm, peaceful. It was a perfect place for many people to get together and come together to make a life for themselves, with many business opportunities.

One of these buildings was the now famous RBL Store, a business of incredible technological wonders and creatures, with ships from all over the galaxy coming and going often. Run by a Jedi Master and his clone, it was the direct home of several of the secretive remnants of the Slayers organization, as well as others. There were others as well, such as a Klub, a Coffee Shop, a General Shop, even rumors of an underground lair. It had everything one could need, and all without any strife to speak of short of the battles that the Slayers took on against demons. In short...it was a sleepy city.

Over the course of the day a young man wearing brown khakis, black T-shirt, and a strange gray scarf explored to his hearts content. His name was as strange as his fashion sense, but it suited him perfectly well. He, was Unknown. A wanderer, traveling from place to place around the world with nothing more than the clothes on his back and the special scarf around his neck.

Unknown had been to many places in his travels, but he had never been to anyplace remotely like Felicity. All the different kinds of beings and life had him looking around like a country bumpkin in his first visit to the big city, which for him wasn't too far off. It had been quite a long time since his last trip to a city of any kind.

"This place is **huge**!" Unknown said while admiring some of the buildings around the city. "I wonder where I should go? I mean…there's so many cool looking things here!" He grinned under his scarf as he passed by an information kiosk. He stopped, and then grabbed his free tourist map, looking it over carefully. "Lets see...apparently this 'RBL store' is quite popular, I'll head there first!" He decided, nodding with finality.

The young man began traveling in the direction of the RBL store, but, sadly, found himself constantly getting lost in the maze of streets. "GAAAH! How in the heck am I supposed to find that place in this mad house!" He groused aloud irritably.

He would be traveling for quite awhile, much to his intense irritation.

_**Towards evening…**_

Within walking distance of the city, if one were to chance upon it, they would discover a rather interesting tree as a diminutive figure stepped out onto a thick tree limb, looking this way and that for a moment as he left his tree with a stretch. If one was to enter into the tree itself, they would discover a very strange sight indeed. It was a faerie home, but not your typical one, if one can consider Faes to be typical.

A typical faerie home is carved out of the trunk, with an entrance situated just above a branch. In a village, these branches are dining rooms, living spaces, porches, everything. The interior of the tree are a few passages to sleeping chambers, sparsely furnished with a single leaf (sometimes leaf and hide) compost for mattresses.

This creatures' tree is more internalized, parasitically using the tree to furnish lights and a power supply for his personal computer system, known as Daedalus. He had overcome his natural claustrophobia by excavating larger rooms than normal, connected vertically by a single hallway. His abode includes a typical 'bed' room at the top, a workroom below it, a computer room at the bottom, storage rooms between, and the hanger below the root system. The creature was known as Ryvaken, and he was a fae. Standing only six inches tall at the most, with a wingspan of seven inches along his mid-wings.

His wings splayed behind him one by one and fluttered experimentally, then he took off to the RBL store.

He made his living off the land in the wilderness outside a strange city, on a strange world, where he was the only one of his kind around to speak of. The fae left his home on many an occasion, but today he was on a mission.

The sprawl of Felicity, like all urban sprawls, resolves itself to simplicity if you go high enough. Ryvaken was flying well above the altitude nature intended when he finally spotted the RBL Store and dove towards its doors.

From an overlooking tree-covered hill, a man snorted. "I've had enough of this place." He muttered darkly. He stood roughly five feet and six inches tall; he wore what appeared to be a tasteful yet starkly black outfit that didn't hide his stocky build in the least. A billowing cloak fluttered behind him in the breeze, exposing a belt around his waist with a silver cylinder clipped to it. His once short red hair had grown out, brushing his collar slightly, with a couple bangs over his cold, light blue eyes and a ponytail flowing down the center of his back. His powerfully built arms were crossed over his chest as he gazed down at the city, the light slowly fading as day turned into night.

"It is time for me to begin my work. Soon, this whole world, and then the universe will be mine." His hard face broke out in only the slightest of grins as he turned away from the view, his boots crushing the grass...which withered as he stepped away. "Soon, all shall know about Darth Char." He said as he vanished completely into the shadows of the woods.

A man walked out from behind a tree and looked at the spot where this 'Char' once stood. He was tall, his skin tight and sickly pale. A charred formerly white lab coat obscured his body and a smile twisted his lips. "Tyranny is coming, is it? Perhaps this island will be amusing."

"I intend it to be." The man in a lab coat would hear behind him. "And I believe you would know of ways to do this, if what the stories I hear of you are true...Ryzahn." Char said quietly, his body calm, but exuding an evil presence that only now could be felt clearly as he reappeared from the treeline.

Ryzahn didn't break his stride. "Then you know that nothing you can offer me would have value. Neither do they, of course. Forget that I am here, Darth."

"Had a feeling you'd say such a thing. There is one thing I could offer you though that noone else possibly can." Char's voice had a light tone to it.

Ryzahn snorted. "Many can say that. Whether this unique thing is of value, however..."

"Very true Ryzahn. However..." Char held up a hand to the sky. Far above, dark clouds that had been forming over the city grew darker still. "...how many of them are willing to offer death and destruction, and willing to provide you the means for you to do both to your fullest creative extent?" Rain started to patter down, though it left the area around Char and Ryzahn dry as it began to fall in droves, the Sith's power leaving it clear around them.

"And I'm willing to offer you both, and the means to get it done. If you're willing to assist me in this endevour. You have but name your price." A brilliant white lightning bolt crashed into the city, destroying a tree somewhere as the rain came down in a torrent.

Ryzahn stopped, turned, and smiled at him mockingly. "You understand nothing."

Char's face was hard as Ryzahn gazed at him, and he lowered his hand, the rain pouring down over both men. "Very well. Let me put my offer to you this way..." He held out his hand towards the man, who would feel his throat feel as if a steel vice was clamped down on it. "...join with me now...I need your ability to create explosives. I'll give you everything you need to do it. Don't join, and you will die. And I won't make it slow either. I'll make your end be a slow painful death, much like the one you like to give out to others. I will dunk you in bacta, and electrify your entire body, before letting it heal you again and I shall start the process over. And I have other ways as well."

Darth Char took one step forward, as he increased pressure on Ryzahn's throat. "So decide now. Join me...or die."

Ryzahn smiled, still mocking. His hand tapped a scar next to his jugular. "You are like all the rest. My skills are yours so long as you can pay the price."

Char held the Force Grip for but a moment more, then lowered his hand quickly, the grip released. "Very well. I shall come for you in three days. Until then...have fun. Take this pittance for your troubles" He said the last mockingly as he tossed out a thick bundle. Within it Ryzahn would find it to have plenty of currency.

"There is also a woman that shall arrive at your latest 'home.' Do with her as you please. She no longer exists anyways." He turned away, his cloak billowing in the rain as he stepped back into the woods, vanishing once more.

Ryzahn shook his head and turned towards the city. The currency sped up his schedule immensely.

**_At_** **_the aforementioned famous RBL Store, roughly at the same time as the discussion between Char and Ryzahn…_**

Tank was annoyed. Here he was...an accomplished Jedi Master, with many combat hours under his belt, both in a tank and in space...yet for the life of him he just could not get one measly little bolt to break.

Granted, he was hanging upside down inside a freighters engine, with almost no leverage to speak of, but this was no excuse! "Oh for the love of...hey Errant! Catch!" Tank cried out, deciding to change weapons as he dropped his un-powered spanner. "Have someone toss me a powered hydrospanner! This thing hasn't been removed in ages I swear!"

Below, Errant was concentrating on a pump line and got rewarded with the hydrospanner to the head. The tool clattered to the deck, and Errant rubbed his head. "Sithspit, Tank. Tool belts, get one."

Errant was a Jedi Knight; a Corellian who had first taken to a life of smuggling before joining the Rebellion against the Empire.

"Sorry, but I'm hanging upside down up here man! What good would a tool belt do in that situation?" Tank called down as the outside lights ringing the landing pad kicked on automatically with the growing dark.

Errant stepped back to retrieve the offending hydrospanner. "Straps or something, maybe some lashing. You drop another one on my head I'll close up the panel on you."

"Didn't you hear what I asked for? I tossed that down to you because I need a powered hydrospanner!" Tank called, hanging upside down and gazing at the Knight below, arms crossed. "Ask one of the Wookies to bring it to me if you could."

A short distance away, one of the aforementioned Wookies was pushing a tool cart out through the gargantuan Hanger doors, heading for the freighter. Ryvaken could see bright light and lots of bustling creatures working on a variety of craft and equipment within as he approached. The Fae entered through the open doors of the Hanger and kept out of the way as he hunted down the store part of the complex, flying above the bustling workers below, and around the robotic arms built into the ceiling.

Below him, he could see a few of the more noticeable characters. One of them, Rea, was talking to a man, called Viper, who looked his perpetually-youthful self. Viper was actually a droid, appearing to be a young adult version of Han Solo with black hair. Rea was wearing a worn flight suit, her short red hair swished as she laughed and chuckled. Her vampire fangs and black eyes glinted in her mirth. A hulking form towered over both of them. Its red eyes lit the faces of the other two in a creepy crimson glow. The tall battle droid, a YVH Hunter Killer droid named Etin, looked between the two small humanish figures and interjected a wiseass comment that had Viper nearly rupturing a gasket and Rea blushing and smacking the metal hulk's armor. Rea's voice rose in her embarrassment. "Etin, I swear I'm going to scrap you one of these days!"

This set Etin and Viper into reels of further electronic laughter.

Yet none in the Store noticed the small fae floating through the aisles, all filled with high-tech and even the more local Earth tech items as he fluttered about. None, save for the sensors of the Store's computer, Darcy20.

The computer was a Federation starship Mark XX mainframe, mated along with a more esoteric computer from the Jedi's home galaxy. That pairing up of two completely different technological entities, one that was partially sentient, the other nothing more than an incredibly advanced and powerful computer processing system, caused the less advanced system to decide to give up its personality and to fuse with the newer and more powerful machine. It created an artificial intelligence, or AI, in the form of Darcy20. She lived by the Federations primary objective; to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to acquire all knowledge possible. While she lacked emotions, she did seem to have something that was similar to them, thanks to the fusion of the older, more sentient computer system.

**An interesting creature...scanning. Finally a new lifeform for the databank. **Darcy20 commented within her giant mainframe core.

Back at the freighter, Errant snorted at Tank and crossed his arms. "Do I look like your tool monkey?" He retorted before turning away from the work. He walked to a Wookie working on another part of the freighter.

"Hey, Chalna, the High Exalted Leader wants a powered hydrospanner...better watch it though he's been spouting and cursing about all the ugly Wook fur getting into the works here. He might go rabid on you." Errant grinned mentally and walked out of the ship to get some fresh air.

Tank hung within the freighter, waiting. He'd heard Errant mutter something but not the details. Suddenly a Wookie appeared...Chalna. "Ah, heya Chalna. Did Errant mention-" A series of roars where heard.

"I never said that!"

_**Deeper in the city…**_

Her footsteps were faint in the streets of the city. She walked, barefoot, her clothes just little more than rags. The best thing she had on her was a small cloak she had been given by a generous passerby. Her clothes were ripped and torn, but still concealed the important parts. She had blue eyes that had once held a brilliant sparkle, and her blonde hair was dirty and covered in muck. She looked as though she hadn't changed her clothes in over a year, and her shoes had worn out and died a long time ago. She leaned against a building as she walked, and her tummy growled for food.

Slowly, she stopped walking and slumped down to the ground. Slowly, her back hit the wall, and she slid to a sitting position, with her tucked in under her cloak. She lay her head down and rest it on her knees, and started to cry. "Happy birthday, Karen," she muttered to herself, then sobbed into her knees.

Karen lay her head down on the pavement, in an alley not far from the shop. She sighed then pulled the tattered cloak around herself for warmth, then used her arms to cushion her head as she closed her eyes. The young homeless girl, having just turned 19 this day, was slipping into sleep. Her only comfort was the knowledge that this alley smelled a little better than last week's drainage ditch.

At the Store Front, which was a distinct and separate part of the RBL Store, filled with aisle upon aisle of high tech equipment of all types was known, there sat what looked like a twin of Tank. His short red hair was cut exactly the same, and his body was built as stocky as the other. The fact of the matter was, he…was a clone. Called CT, short for CloneTank, he was created to be the sole proprietor of the Store who never left. It allowed Tank to be able to respond to anything that would require the services of a Jedi Master, if needed.

The front doors swished open, admitting two new possible customers inside. Derr, and Nyn. Brothers in arms and blood, they were easy going young men. Both were well trained in self-defense and weapons, though Nyn had some psychic powers he could make use of. It was very handy for him on many occasions.

Derr smiled to CT, "Hey guys!" He said simply.

From the front counter CT nodded greetings to Derr and Nyn, as a torrent of rain started to fall outside.

_**In flight outside…just before the rain fell…**_

Jimi was testing out a new hyperdrive system in his personal and personally built fighter, the _Starbreaker_, thoroughly enjoying the flight, when suddenly the fighters' engine began to overheat, as the cheap parts used weren't up to the high quality standards needed. "Oh great…just my luck." The small fox-like being muttered, quickly hitting switches and dials in an attempt to save himself.

The end result of this was that he made a crash landing into the ground next to the RBL Store, gouging a long furrow into the ground alongside the road before it came to a stop. Luckily for him he had managed to make his fighter glide a good portion of the way, so the external damage was minimal. Unfortunately, the engine's internal damage was not.

Jimi kicked the cockpit window open, sending it flying away as climbed out of it. Slowly he staggered over towards the Store as rain began to fall…and then fell in a torrent, soaking him through his fur. He ignored it, slumping into a wall as small rivulets of rain poured down his face. "Mental note to self: stop testing things that could kill me." He says to himself, before pushing off the wall and entering the Store. Without preamble, the moment he walked inside he fell to the floor" deja vu..."

Errant stretched his legs out a bit as he headed back towards the Hanger Bay, smiling in a rather pleased manner. Having pulled of a rather delectable and enjoyable prank on Tank was one of his favorite pastimes, especially since the Wookies always played along with it.

The Corellian smelled the moisture on the wind and felt a pattern of rain arcing towards him as he approached the Hanger Bay doors. He took the drops on his face, enjoying them until they began to get heavy. He was about to duck inside when something sparked on his senses. His brows furrowed, and a green field of Force Protection slid over him, warding off the rain.

Errant sloshed into the damp ground looking for the source of his feeling...a girl...his damselsense? He hadn't used that in a while. She wasn't in any great danger, but she was despondent...worried...cold. That was his empathy focusing in on her. Errant locked in the feeling from his damsel sense and homed in on the girl.

CT blinked, looking down at the suddenly collapsed into the front door. "Jimi? Why do you insist on parking in the street out front?" He asked.

Derr rested by the vending machine, simply leaning and just enjoying being inside from the rain. "Hola Jimbo." He greeted the small kitsune affably.

Within her mainframe Darcy20 detected the sudden and increasing amount of rain falling upon the building. A quick check showed that the Hanger Bay doors were wide open still. A quick command, and she began closing the huge Hanger Bay doors to lower the amount of rainwater flowing in. A loud klaxon filled the entire building, warning that it was closing.

As the klaxon blared for a few moments the kitsune simply lay on the floor before he bothered to move or respond to CT or Derr in any way.

He looked up at CT from the floor, looking slightly weary, but managed to affect a dry expression. "I need to come down for a donut break so I decided to crash land." he says sarcastically. "But seriously, _Starbreaker_ needs repairs. Its engine is fried. Can I borrow some Wookies who have knowledge of multiple system engines? Especially Wookies who have worked on engines that burn out often from overuse?" He says while getting up slowly.

CT nodded. "You can use the services here, but we'll have to move your ship around back. Can't work on it out front."

Jimi looked up to Derr, a quizzical expression on his furry face. It quickly changed to delight. "Derr you bring the van, I need you to tow something for me."

Derr looked at the small kitsune with a dubious expression. "And what is that something?"

Before the kitsune could reply, CT rolled his eyes. "Jimi...you know his van can't tow the _Starbreaker_. Besides, we've got something that'll tow it." He said, feeling a small presence seeming to be nearby in the store.

"...odd..." He muttered, shaking his head and ignoring it for the time being. He didn't know that Ryvaken was there, especially since he had never met him anyways.

"But it's the van! And for an extra boost we could pour this super powered plutonium powered fuel in his gas tank" Jimi declares with a wild look on his face while pulling a can of the fuel he mentioned out of a small pouch he wore.

A female voice suddenly spoke up, seemingly from nowhere yet everywhere, as Darcy20 spoke up to Jimi and Derr. **"There is no need for his van. Elements have already been sent. Four wookies and a towing landspeeder will arrive up front shortly."** The computer said matter-of-factly.

Derr relaxed, "Good, because there is no way in holy hell I would have towed that."

Jimi pouted and put the fuel away, before he looked introspective. "Something doesn't feel right," He muttered, scratching behind his ear with a rear leg. "The black wind is howling...wait..." His ears straightened up as he realized something. "…no that's just the air conditioning.

He shrugged, and continued to mutter to himself. "Well when it rains something bad is always going to happen, cuz that's how it works in the movies." Jimi says while reaching into his pocket and pulling out the blueprints for the _Starbreaker_, looking over it to determine where he might have gone wrong.

Ryvaken found himself fairly lost within the RBL building, somehow having found himself back at the hanger. He hovered for a few minutes trying to figure out exactly what he did wrong, and then came up with a plan. He headed back the way he had gone before and began to retrace his path.

For a six-inch tall flying being in a huge building, this could take some time, especially since he wasn't entirely certain just where he was to begin with.

Karen's eyes shot wide open when the rain began to fall heavily on her. "Oh, fuck," she muttered to herself, then pulled the cloak up over her head. She lay there still for just a moment, trying to ignore the heavy rainfall, but the cloak wasn't a tarp. It did not have the resistance of one. It began to get soaked rather fast, as did she.

Finally, reluctantly, she stirred herself back up and got up, still keeping the cloak up over her head. She ran out of the alleyway and looked back and forth down the street, hoping to find some place that was open. Somewhere she could take shelter.

Karen pulled her cloak tightly around her body as she walked through the streets, her bare feet splashing in the puddles that were forming on the ground. She looked back and forth, desperately trying to find something that was open right now, before her eyes fell upon the sign of the RBL Store. She hurried in that direction, trying her best to ignore the cold for now until she could get there. She prayed it was open

Errant walked around the side of the Store to the streets, homing in with his damselsense until he spotted a small form running through the rain in a cloak and no shoes. Errant frowned seeing this sight. Shrouded in a green field around his body, the Corellian waved to the girl.

"Come over this way, miss. I can get you inside quicker out of this rain and into something warm." Errant lent an edge of comfort and security to his voice and projected it from his empathy

Karen's eyes fell upon the strange man that was glowing green. She walked towards him cautiously, uncertain about the strange glow. Her eyes traced over towards a nearby building to get her mind off it. She had herself wrapped tightly in her soaked cloak, so her features were difficult to make out.

Errant sensed the uncertainty and uneasy. He looked over his green glow and shrugged. The green glow faded; he was immediately pelted and half-drenched. With out the green glow he was slightly-tanned under his green jumpsuit. His brown hair was instantly matted down wet. His icy blue eyes shined slightly in the light given off by the flood lamps of the store. "Come on, miss. We both have incentive to get in now."

Karen walked towards the drenched man, now that he wasn't glowing. She kept the cloak tight around herself for warmth, holding it tightly closed with her left hand. She was reluctant to get near Errant, though, and walked a couple feet away from him. "Th...thank you..." she stuttered, through the cold.

The Corellian smiled welcomingly and turned to walk back towards the store. He knew he wasn't going to get much more out of her out here. She'd had it rough and was reacting like any other hurt and abused being would, extreme caution. Errant walked to a side door to the hangar bay and tapped in a code into the keypad. The locks clicked and the door swished open quickly.

Errant stepped out of the rain and waved the girl in. He held his arm over the door's cubby to keep it open. It wouldn't close if even the slightest pressure was present, unless Darcy20 did an override in which case Errant's arm would be snapped off.

Karen hesitated for just a moment, eying Errant and the doorway suspiciously. She was like a wild animal with a broken leg, wanting to be helped, but uncertain if she could trust the one offering help. Slowly, tentatively, she stepped through the doorway and into the building, but kept her head low as she looked around inside the hangar. She also saw all manner of beings moving around, from normal humans in jumpsuits, some of them in odd looking full body uniforms with small badges on their chest, to the large Wookies padding about.

Her jaw opened slowly as she saw the different vehicles in the hangar, taking the whole sight in, but she said nothing.

Both Errant and Karen, as well as everyone else would hear the loud klaxon announce the doors opening slowly, rain pouring in with the driving wind. From that small opening in the main Hanger Bay doors a soaked Tank and the Wookie team entered from their work on the freighter. "I should have brought the ship in..." He mutters and he wiped himself off a bit, before heading to the front of the store. He needed to check with CT on a parts list.

Errant caught the jaw drop and smiled. Well she was either a Terran or not very familiar with ships. Errant waved a hand around the hangar. "Welcome to the Hangar bay of the ReBeL Store, owned by my…" Errant glanced towards the freighter they'd been repairing and the soaked group that had just entered through the main doors, "...probably hard of hearing friend."

As he headed for the Store Front, as the employees there called the two distinct parts of the building, Tank threw off his soaked robe over the nose of his fighter, and sneezed. "Gah...that was odd...don't even feel a cold coming on." He shrugged, heading for the lift, his old green coveralls slightly damp, with small smears of grease on it as he entered the open air lift, heading for the Store proper.

"I'm the hangar boss, and that's my ship, the _Cerulean_." He pointed over to the bulging disc-like ship in one corner of the hangar. It had two mandibles that protruded from the port and starboard sides, guns on the tips of the dorsal and ventral bulges. And to top off the strange look, it was painted a dark blue. "My name is Errant. And you are, miss?"

Karen turned her gaze back to the man that had opened the door for her. Feeling just a little more secure, she reached her left hand up and drew back the hood of her cloak, which opened a little from the action. "My name is Karen. Thank you for caring." Her eyes teared up a little. She knew it was stupid, but she truly meant that. No one had ever shown her even this much attention. Most of the people she had met had simply snubbed her and left her to die alone in an alley somewhere.

As her cloak opened up, her right arm came into view. Unlike her left, her right ended in a stump. The girl had no right hand. It had been cut off one year before, severed at the wrist. She wasn't just alone and homeless. She was alone, homeless, and _crippled_.

Errant saw the stump and his whole right arm twitched. He covered any other sign except for the gloved fingers of his right hand rubbing his palm. His left hand was ungloved though. "Well, Karen, caring is the way I was raised and my job. I'm kind of a professional do-gooder. Why don't you follow me? The infirmary is probably the first stop on our tour. The rain and streets aren't good for your health. We'll get you checked up and into some warm clothes."

He waved his bare left hand towards a door at the end of the hangar bay and started walking slowly so Karen could keep up beside him.

Karen attempted to smile for the man that was helping her, but she couldn't. She had lost the ability to smile some time ago. She merely followed after the man, glancing back towards the door once more before going. She said nothing, because she didn't want to risk damaging such a wonderful opportunity that she thought may actually get her at the very least some good food.

This was the best thing that happened to her in a long time. For once, she had someone treating her like an actual person, instead of gutter trash.

Errant noticed Karen was still lagging behind unsure, scared, but relieved all the same. Errant stretched out with his mind to merely touch the surface of hers. Nothing intrusive, just to get a vague sense of her. Her mind was blanketed in grief and loss, and a powerful sense of loneliness. She had been scared and alone for a long time.

Errant frowned a little as he walked. He'd felt glimpses of it with his empathy, but he really couldn't tell much more without really intruding on her privacy. Something that he wasn't comfortable doing.

They reached the infirmary shortly after. He stood to one side and motioned for her to go in. "Ladies first." He said it was a flourish. The door slid open as they approached.

Karen gave another faint, weak smile, then used her left hand to brush the dirty, soaked hair out of her face before walking through the doors. "Thank you." she said once more.

Errant smiled and walked inside behind Karen. He gave out a high-pitched whistle. That brought a skeletal droid shuffling out from behind a partion wall. It bowed slightly, opened its delicate hands in a wide open-palmed gesture. It's voice was soft and soothing though noticeably synthesized. "Welcome, sentients. I am Twobee-one, generalized medical droid. How might I serve you?"

Errant nodded in return to the droid. "Twobee-one. This lady requires minor medical attention. Exposure, lacerations most likely, and forearm amputee check."

The droid took it all in silently with a nod and motioned for Karen to follow him. "You may follow me to observation table." The droid walked around behind the partition wall. Errant stayed in entry room, not following.

Karen looked back at the man she had been following, then glanced towards the partition wall. She was nervous and uncertain about the robot. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but had hidden her stump under her left arm in her cloak when she heard the words "forearm amputee check".

Errant smiled. "It's okay, darlin'. He's just going to see if yer all right. He's pretty good, patched me up a few times. And I know yer a little self-conscious about your hand; I am about mine." Errant held up his gloved right hand and flexed the fingers. "But you need to have it checked, trust me. I've been around enough amputees."

She was hesitant and first, uncertain. But, slowly, she decided to listen. "...o...okay..." she stammered out a little. Reluctantly, Karen withdrew her stump from its hiding place and walked towards the petition. She shot one last glance back towards the helpful man, before disappearing behind it, following the droid.

Errant followed her enough to lean heavily against the partition. There was a shake and thump that ran through to the other side. He lifted his right hand up and looked at the glove.

The droid walked to the far side of the examination table and gently patted the padded top. "If you could please sit on the table, mistress, we can begin." Then with little else, the droid swiveled his torso all the way around and searched methodically for an instrument.

Errant cleared his throat as he loosened the wrist of his sleeve. "Karen, if you don't mind me askin'...what happened to you? Are you in any trouble?" He stretched out with his feelings to encompass the infirmary, trying to get a feel for the overall aura in the Force of the girl and pick up anything she might broadcast. As he did, the Jedi began to tug at the fingers of his glove, inching it off and revealing a cross-hatch of black scars on his wrist.

Karen dropped her cloak on the floor for a moment, and then climbed up onto the table as she was told. When she dropped the cloak, an odd little trinket came into view, attacked to the cloak. It was an iron hilt of a sword, with a circular hand guard, but it was missing the blade. Errant could sense a great dark power emanating from this weapon, and much of it had rubbed off onto Karen as well. Strangely, he hadn't been able to sense it until just that moment.

She looked at the helpful man at the partition and sighed. "That is a long story." she said, crossing her right leg over the left. "A long story that you probably wouldn't care to hear."

The dark power suddenly showing up on his internal radar about made Errant jump through his skin. He quickly pulled his glove back on and then he stepped quickly around the wall. Twobee-one was about to launch into a soothing command when Errant silenced him with a quick look from his icy blue eyes.

Errant walked over and knelt by the hilt. He didn't dare put a hand to it because the dark aura was already beginning to weigh on his empathy at this range now that he'd opened himself to the Force. He looked back up at Karen. His face was layered with concern, and his eyes slightly worried. He could feel the source of the evil here. And now he could feel residue of it on the girl...but she wasn't a wellspring of it, just contaminated like from a radiation leak.

"Yes, darlin', I think I do want to hear this story. Twobee, keep on working." The droid merely nodded and went back to work. It waved a scanner slowly up and down Karen's body.

Karen reached her right arm up to rub her forehead, and then her eyes fell on her lack of a right hand. She sighed and used her left to rub her forehead instead. She then fell back on the table and cried just a little, as the painful memories were dragged back up.

"I'm going to tell you a story. It's a story about an evil monster. The monster came to my home with an evil sword. It killed everything and everyone that was there, it destroyed everything I care about. Nothing could stop it until the evil sword was forcibly cut from its body, along with the appendage that carried it." She looked at her stump for a moment, and then started to cry once more.

Errant nodded for Karen to go on. He kept his mind's eye on the hilt. Errant had experience with dark side objects before none he wanted to revisit.

Karen sighed and closed her eyes, revisiting the horrible memories. "When I turned 18, I lost everything. My friends, my family, my home...my hand...I've been alone ever since. All my friends that survived that horrible night abandoned me, and I've just been flitting from city to city since then. I think...I think a part of me is just looking for a good ditch to just lay down and die in."

Errant frowned. He didn't dare press any further. He looked down at the hilt and sickened by the dark power. The continued exposure was beginning to send him into a empathic depression. "This sword...I have felt a good many objects imbued with dark power...but what is this?"

Errant noticed a big tendril of dark energy come from the sword and entwine around Karen for just a moment, as she listened to what it was telling her. "It's my sword," she answered after a moment's thought, not giving much information.

Errant's eyes narrowed. He pushed a wall of light side Force power between Karen and the hilt, severing that tendril's connection to her. "I'm going to have to ask again, Karen. What is that sword?"

Karen shook her head quickly. "I don't know! I don't...it...it's like an energy sword...I think it's...like the one you have...but not..." She seemed to know about Errant's lightsaber without having seen it. She rubbed her forehead with her left hand. "And it talks to me...whispers...tells me things..." This would be how she knew.

Errant looked up Karen and had a deeper twisting in his gut. He wasn't even wearing his hilts at the moment, and had said nothing of them or him being a Jedi. He looked down at the sword. "Don't worry, darlin'. I have an idea what it is now."

Karen sighed and opened her eyes again. She didn't know what to say or what to do. She just lay there, letting the robot look her over.

Errant frowned at the hilt for a second as Twobee-one fnished up. "Madam, you have no life threatening injuries. I would like to give you a dose of bacta though. It will act as an antibiotic and also spead up your healing. Your biology should not have any ill effects due to this injection. Do I have your approval?"

Errant got up from the hilt and moved towards Karen. "The stuff really works, darlin'."

Twobee One stared at the arm for a moment. He swiveled around and pulled an sanitation swab out of its container. Twobee swiveled back around to face the dirty arm and began to rub at the injection spot he'd chosen. After a few seconds he was satisfied with clean circle on Karen's arm and raised his other hand. A syringe-like attachment folded out of his palm. The droid jabbed the hypodermic injector into Karen's arm and flushed the bacta dose into her blood stream.

Twobee One withdrew his hypo injector and stared at the puncture hole for a second, scanning. He straightened up and looked Karen in the face. "You should be satisfactory now, madam. I suggest you rest and take advantage of the recovery rooms here in the infirmary. You can stay for as long as you need, and clean clothes and food are in ready supply."

Errant just leaned on the wall watching all this go on and pondering what the hell was going on with this sword.

Karen smiled just a little at the offer to stay here. "Really? I can stay?" She had been homeless for so long that her eyes were watering at the droids generous offer.

The droid merely nodded before going to sterilize itself. Errant rolled his eyes; Twobee Ones were never that great in the area of bedside manner. The Jedi pushed up off the wall to stand by the examination table. "Well...as long as we don't have some major disaster that needs the bed. But that's pretty unlikely. It's pretty basic: bed, storage unit, table and chairs, and a refresher with shower and toilet."

Karen smiled just a little, though she was ecstatic on the inside. "Thank you, she said to the man, while she sat back up off the table. "What is this place?" she finally got around to asking.

Errant sat on the edge of the table. "The ReBeL Store, owned by my friend Tanker. We're an outfitter, general store, ship dealer, and mechanic. The hangar and repairs fall under the realm of Errant...that'd be me." Errant grinned a little. "I was just walked out of the landing pad area when I felt you coming down the street."

"Felt...you...felt me?" Karen was confused by this word.

Errant nodded slowly and smiled. "Yes, felt you with my mind and my emotions. I was born with powers to shape and feel a mystical power source simply called 'the Force' by my people. I suspect your sword already knows this, but as it hasn't revealed to you fully...it probably wields the Force like I do...only using it for evil intentions...the dark side." Errant's eyes flickered over to the blade.

Karen looked at her sword for a moment, then laid down on her front and reached down for the cloak she had dropped next to the table. She had become uncomfortable from being so far from the sword for so long.

Errant frowned inwardly, recognizing the hold the darkness had over Karen. She was addicted...maybe not the right word but like dominated by it.

The Jedi Sentinel, for that the class of Jedi Errant was technically, looked down at the sword. He wasn't the kind to meddle with a dark object of that magnitude. His power was an augment for his own physical and mental skills. A Consular, strong in the Force and its balances, would better for this task...a healer maybe.

Errant exhaled slowly as he thought. He looked down to his hand and then at Karen. He sighed and looked towards the ceiling, then back down towards Karen. "I can show you to a room, if you'd like. I really sorry about this, but I've got some family business that I have to take care of back home."

Karen picked up her cloak and pulled it around herself. "Thank you, Mister Errant." She had caught his name the last time he said it. "Who do I talk to about the bed?" Her left hand pulled the sword inside the cloak close to herself, for comfort.

Errant smiled a little. "Just call me Errant, titles and stuff make my head too big. And as for who to talk to...want a bed?"

Karen nodded quickly. "I would **love** one."

Errant smiled. "Ah good then, you have a room. Follow me." He lead the way back into the lobby of the infirmary and then right down a hallway. He stopped at the first door on his left and punched the open key. "Here you go, one of the recovery rooms."

Errant glanced in to see the flat, unremarkable bed, the tall storage cabinet which would undoubtedly contain a couple sets of white hospital tunics and trousers, and then the closed door to the refresher. He visualized the 'fresher as being just like every other 'fresher in the galaxy: toilet, sink and mirror, and a shower...most likely a water shower on this planet.

Karen smiled a little and stepped inside the apartment, taking a look around. "Wow...this place is incredible!" Of course, after living on the streets for a year, even a tar shack would be incredible.

Errant nodded. "Yeah, it has its upsides. Been in worse, been without."

Karen dropped down on the bed and closed her eyes. She wasn't going to sleep; she was just savoring the feel of having something soft that she could lie on.

Errant grinned as he watched Karen. "Well, I can see you're enjoying this. Why don't you take a nice, long, hot bath? I need to be heading out, family business calls. I'll tell the head of this circus that you're here. He'll pay you a visit pretty soon. Tank's his name, stout, red-haired, he's a lot like me. Only he's not as good looking as I." Errant grinned mischievously.

Karen nodded to Errant, still savoring the feel of the soft bed. "Thank you, Mister Errant. I really can't thank you enough for all this." She smiled just a little, sitting up from the bed with her cloak still tightly around her.

Errant smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing, Karen. And call me Errant, no titles. Anyways, what else could a gentleman do for a pretty lady like yourself?" Errant grinned and stepped out of the door way. The door waited a second and closed in front of him.

He thought for a second and walked out of the infirmary, heading towards the front of the store where he felt Tank.

Karen considered falling asleep now, but instead changed her mind. She stood up, and then dropped the cloak to the floor. Glancing at the door that led out, then at the one that led to the shower, she smiled just a little. She pulled her shirt off, and then dropped it on the bed. Next, she unzipped her tattered pants and dropped them down onto the floor. Now standing naked, she walked to the shower for her first one in a long time.

To Be Continued….

_**Hope you all are enjoying this so far. I've got quite a bit already written, I just have to determine where to put in the chapters and all that fun stuff. **_

_**See? I really am still writing! Read and Review. If it's too confusing let me know that too, as I have lots of characters I wanted to play with and it's quite the juggling act to play,I must admit.**_

_**Until next time…**_

_**¤§¤**_

_**RBLM1A2Tanker**_


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